Troublemaker - Lisa B. Kamps Page 0,43

refrigerator. Dylan would be hungry later so it wouldn't go to waste.

I went upstairs and grabbed the throw from the foot of the bed then carefully covered Dylan with it—and managed to do it without staring at him.

At least, without staring too much.

I finished my own dinner then cleaned up, my mind moving at warp speed as I did. As much as I hated to admit it, I knew what I needed to do. It's what I should have done two weeks ago. The fact that I hadn't already told me I was in over my head.

I just wondered if I could actually go through with it, or if it was already too late for me. Even if that was the case, I still had to leave—

No matter how hard it was going to be.

Chapter Nineteen

Morgan

"Looks like your hockey boy finally found his hustle, cher. No idea what you're doing but keep doing it."

I glanced away from the frenzied activity on the ice down below just in time to see the deep flush spreading across Addy's face. She playfully nudged Jacqui in the side then dipped her head.

"Hush before someone hears you."

"Look around, cher. Nobody is paying any attention to us. They're too busy discussing politics and business." Jacqui motioned to the small group of older men behind us with a wave of one large hand then re-crossed her legs. True to form, she had on yet another pair of dangerously high heels, this time in a wild zebra pattern that matched her black skirt and patterned blouse. No way could I pull off anything like that but the look totally worked for Jacqui.

I glanced down at my own outfit and tried not to cringe. I had on a pair of tattered jeans, a plain V-neck shirt, and a pair of sensible tennis shoes. I'd worn all three clothing items before—I hadn't had any choice, considering my limited wardrobe. I'd never been bothered by my clothing choices before but sitting next to Addy and Jacqui, I felt sloppy and out of place. At least the jacket I wore covered most of me. The lined windbreaker was Dylan's, one he insisted I wear to ward off the chill of the rink. The hem reached the middle of my thighs and I had to roll the cuffs of the sleeves a few times so my hands wouldn't be lost but I didn't care. Wearing his jacket made me feel closer to him for some reason, especially since I could smell the faintest hint of his essence on it if I closed my eyes and breathed in.

Either that, or I just had a really vivid imagination.

Yes, I had it bad. Worse than I'd first thought, in fact. Normally I'd shrug the realization away but tonight, I decided to let it play out in my mind. What would the harm be in pretending that we were really a couple, just for one night? It was so easy to imagine, especially since I was in the owner's box watching Dylan's game. I still had no idea what I was watching but for this particular dream, that didn't matter. For now, and later tonight, I was part of something bigger than just myself.

A hand waved in front of my face and I jerked back as the unfolding dream shattered. I turned and noticed that both women were watching me with similar expressions of amusement on their faces.

"Just making sure you were still with us, cher."

"Of course, I am. I'm here, right?"

"Maybe you are, but your mind is a million miles away."

I grabbed the cup resting in the holder in front of me and took a quick sip, barely tasting the iced tea as it slid down my throat. "I was just watching the game."

"Cher, there's a break in the play. There's nothing to watch."

"Oh. I guess I just zoned out a little bit."

"Obviously."

Addy leaned around Jacqui, a bright smile on her face as she gave me a playful wink. "I'm sure she's thinking about later tonight and how to celebrate when she and Dylan get home."

"Celebrate?"

"Yes. We're winning." Addy pointed to the giant screen hanging above the ice. "See?"

Heat filled my face when I noticed the score. The Bourdons were winning, two-to-one—something I would have noticed if I'd been paying any attention. I knew they had scored—everyone jumping up and clapping and cheering had been a dead giveaway—but I hadn't realized they were actually winning.

I slid down in my seat and took another long swallow of